Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant announced that Goa is actively working to make all its beaches and public buildings accessible to persons with disabilities, reinforcing the state’s vision of an “Inclusive Goa, Inclusive Bharat.” He made the remarks during the inauguration of the International Purple Fest 2025, a festival celebrating inclusion, creativity, and empowerment.
The event was inaugurated in the presence of Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar, MoS Shri Ramdas Athawale, Social Welfare Minister Shri Subhash Phaldessai, and several MPs and MLAs including Shri Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Shri Krishna Daji Salkar, Shri Premendra Shet, and Shri Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
Dr. Sawant highlighted this year’s theme, “Universal Design and Shifting Narratives,” as part of Goa’s commitment to creating spaces and systems that embrace everyone. The festival has become a symbol of the state’s inclusive ethos and India’s broader mission to empower persons with disabilities.
The Chief Minister also outlined key initiatives promoting accessibility and inclusion in Goa, including the Divya Niwaas Yojana for residential and halfway homes, a state-wide disability survey with real-time data, accessibility audits of government buildings, and the Pradhan Mantri Divyasha Kendra at Goa Medical College providing aids and appliances.
Dr. Sawant expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment for their guidance and support, reaffirming Goa’s commitment to building a model of inclusion in line with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
